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M ,. M Y L I N E Last October, nearly 50 years after Pearl Harbor, Milieu examined sev eral impacts of World War II-on America and more particularly on Houghton College and its people. A few persons saw that series as glorifi cation of war or celebration of American dominance. The majority recognized a different emphasis, an effort to perceive, preserve, and profit from heritage-a practice commended in the Bible, honored and still main tained in many cultures. With observation of the 500th anniversary of Columbus's coming to "the new world" in process, Professors David Howard and Richard Pointer help Milieu again take a look at significant heritage, not as "celebra tion," but for recognition, reflection and instruction. Columbus's voyage precipitated events and attitudes that yet shape us in the west, and with which need to reckon in charting a future. Alumna and graduate student Deborah Howard's insights into condi tions and attitudes developing in Germany in the wake of reunification remind us just how quickly and unexpectedly heritage becomes the dy namic for current and coming events. Student Deb Cauvel's perspective on the mission of Christian radio, and Tim Swauger's Ila.bita.tpiece about learning and building in another culture, also exhibit elements of heritage as formative or influential. The vitality of heritage, the role of commemoration, and the joy of cel ebration converged in the 1992 Founders' Day convocation at Houghton October 2, when Willard Houghton, J.S. Luckey and Stephen W. Paine came alive in narration and dramatized sketches. * * * * * Many thanks to the 1,242 donors who had carried the 1992-93 Mi; lieu voluntary subscription fund to the $12,334 mark by September 30. An overflowing alumni news section in this issue is further evidence of reader interest. Come January we'll devote whatever space it takes to catch up on news, record memorial and in honor gifts, and list lost alumni. Alumni Wayne and Gaye (Sweesy) Mouritzen wrote to tell us they were victims of Hurricane Andrew (see Alumni News section). We encoui· age other alumni readers in Florida, Louisiana or Hawaii who lost homes or otherwise suffered substantial loss in the hurricanes of last summer, to briefly share their stories with us before year's end.-Dean Liddick HOUGHTON M L E U College Bulietln October l992 CONTENTS Features College Bulletin (USPS 252a220) October 1992 1492 Voyager .................... 4 Vol LXVII, No. 5 Columbus as Cultural Symbol .. .. HOUGHTON Milieu is the maga 6 zine of Houghton College, Boughton, NY 14744-9989. Second Class Postage Paid at Houghton, NY German Reunification . .. .. .. 8 14744-9989. Postmaster, send form 3579 to Houghton College, Hough• ton, NY 14744-9989. HOUGHTON 1992 President's Report .. .. .. .. 11 Milieu is published for alunmi and friends of the college five times yearly: January, Aprll, ]lme, August Christian Radio: ignoring its future? .. 14 page4 and October. Wrillen permission is required to reproduce HOUGHTON Milieu in Lessons in India ...................1 7 whole or in part. Send address change:, to Paula Roberts, Alumni Office, Houghton College, Houghton, NY 14744-9989. Milieu welcomes letters, alunu1i news, unsolicited manuscripts, art or photographs for possible inclusion in the magazine. Send these to the magazine in care of the editor at the Departments college, or FAX (716) 567-9572. pages Editor-Dean Liddick Highlander Sports.. .. .. .. .. .. 19 Editorial Assistants Cynthia Machamer, Deborah Young Alumni in Action . .. .. .. .. .. a:i Sports-David Mee Design Consultant Campus News . .. .. .. 27 Michael Jones Editorial Advisory Board Bruce Campbell, B. Sue Crider, Diana Mee Schneider, Richard L. Wing page14 l loughton College ndmits students of any rncc, color nnd 1rntlcurnl or ethnic origin. The college d�s not digcdminnt(' on these bases, or on the bnsis o( sex in nny collcgl'•ndministcrcd rrugt,11n, HOUGHTON Milieu is printed on recycled paper, using soybean inks. page 31 October 1992 3 o utter the name of Co lumbus is to bring into the T mind images and notions beyond our conscious control. Generations of Americans-both North and South-looking for he roes have had no trouble at all conjuring up a Columbus myth larger than any possible life could have been. More recently a num ber of historians, confident that a 11 heroes own feet of clay, have joined the voices of those Native and African Americans who had little to celebrate about the Euro pean discovery of the Americas, in order to sculpt a Columbus of clay from bottom to top. Their attacks on the motives and methods of Christopher Co lumbus, as well as on the often unforeseen outcomes of his ven tures, arc not the first blows to be struck against him. During his third visit to the Island of Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Do minican Republic) in 1498, an,bitious rivals had him arrested and sent back to Spain in chains the first golpe in Latin American history! Truly this man has had his critics as well as admirers from the ......, beginning. The question which fascinates me, as a historian, is what drives a person like Columbus? The six teenth-century mentality is of special interest, and T have given much research to his generation. --....:..:· This brief look at Columbus fo cuses on some of the goals that ..- prompted this explorer to under take his journey-the factors that illuminate his mentality. During the mid-sixteenth cen tury Columbus' son, Ferdinand, - I' ,-, wrote a Lifeof his already famous father, which naturnlly shows him in heroic proportions. Ferdinand � recounted the story of how his fa ther began to think about a voyage �-·-- --·- of discovery to the west. Colum- 4 HOUGMTON MILIEU bus, already an experienced sailor, honors, titles and political power, usual mentality about social and settled in Portugal and married a but the prospect of riches beyond economic hierarchy in WesternEu Portuguese woman. His livelihood imagination. If the terms of the rope, and the need for a large held aroused his curiosity about the deal had actuaJly been honored, laboring class to support a smaJler sea, and he learnedfrom his the Co.lumbusfamily would in elite, he explained (to the rulers of mother-in-law that her deceased time have rivaled the wealthiest of Spain, according to Las Casas) that dynasties. The mentality emerging husband, a seafarer with experi the riches of Hispaniola were its with early modern capitalism was ence along the coast of West also a vital part of his makeup. people. They were the ones who Africa, had left some records and When Columbus landed in the worked, made the bread and pro sea-charts. "Indies"-for his goal had been to vided the food for the Europeans, These artifacts increased his in reach the East Indies (China and dug the gold from th.eh' mines, and terest, and soon he sailed along that Japan)-he immediately began a did all the tasks and labor of both coast himself-as far as to the Gold search for the economic rewards men and beasts of burden. Tragi Coast (present-day Ghana). The that he imagined were his due. cally, just such overwork, added to thought occurred to him that if a Some gold was found, but not warfare, brutal mistreatment, and voyage so far to the south were pos nearly enough, and he turned to a the introduction of Old World dis sible, why not one equally far to the second economic prospect-human eases, soon devastated the Indies labor. His return to Europe in 1493 west? Why not expect to find land and large areas of both American brought the first shjpment of there as well? The mentality of the slaves across the Atlantic Ocean, continents as well. Italian Renaissance, with its curios for Columbus had with him "lndi Such ruin was not Columbus' ity and thirst for knowledge, its ans" to be sold as slaves in Spain. plan, either for humanitarian or supreme self-confidence and daring, economic reasons. Yet, we may sec shines clearly through this self a basic contradiction in the "men taught Genoese mariner. Columbus was confidentthat talities" that made up the Bartolome de Las Casas, the he could carry out God's will Columbus personality. Like many "Protector of the Indians," not only of his contemporaries, and not a had direct contact with Columbus on earth and atthe same few among us even today, Colum and his family, he wrote extensively time make himseffrich, bus was confident that he could and favol'ably about him. His Co famous and powerful. carry out God's will on earth and lumbus is a religious man, both at the same time make himself conventionally and fervently, confi rich, famous and powerfu I. His dent of Divine Providence and pursuit of the latter goals frus motivated to serve God by spread Africans had been carried to trated the attainment■ of the first ing the faith of Jesus Christ. The Portugal as slaves for half a cen and primar� one. Spain and Portugal wherein Colum tury, and already the writings of bus lived had a powerful crnsade Portuguese historians had argued legacy stemming from the centuries Dr. Dnvid Howard !,as taught nt Ho11ghto11 as a "justification" for such en si11ce 1969. A sl'ccinlisl It, colo11i11/ I.JI/i11 A111er, long Reconquistn struggle against slavement that it gave those cn11 i,istory, i,e s presc111/y /e11cl,ing n special !slam. Colwnbus had taken on this Africans the opportunity to be topics course 011 Co/11111b11s. mentality, as his religious obser come Christians. How ironic that vances and writings display an the religion that promised to make Iberian devotion and culture. people free was exploited in order Along with his Renaissance to take away their freedom! Fortu and Reconquista outlooks, Colum nately Queen Isabela of Castile had bus was an astute businessman.